User research

(7 questions, ~5 minutes to finish)

This is a short survey to validate my idea for "A collaborative website that aims to organize educational content across the web to form a knowledge map/skill tree". Your answers will inform my efforts moving forward, so thank you very much!

Are you currently interested in pursuing further education for one of the following reasons?

To switch to a different industry

For recreational purposes

I'm not interested in pursuing further education

For another reason:

Do you have the time and money to pursue further education through a university or a technical-vocational school?

Do you use online resources (such as online courses, ebooks, Youtube videos, blogs, Wikipedia, etc.) for learning?

These are potential drawbacks of online learning. Please pick up to 3 that affect you the most.

Lack of hands-on experience: Some subjects or skills may require practical training that is difficult to replicate in an online environment.

Credential recognition: Some employers may not recognize online credentials

Disorganized: Free resources like YouTube videos and blog articles have limited utility due to challenges in determining prerequisites and alignment with my learning goal.

Potential for distractions (e.g. noise, family responsibilities, or other commitments)

Limited access to physical resources (libraries, labs, or specialized equipment)

Quality concerns: Online courses and materials vary widely in quality, resulting in inconsistency in content, instruction, and assessment.

Technology issues: Internet connectivity problems, software glitches, or device malfunctions

Lack of direct and immediate feedback

Lack of face-to-face interaction may reduce social intelligence

Self-discipline is required to stay on track with coursework and deadlines

These websites offer somewhat personalized learning paths by suggesting courses/microdegrees based on your preferences. Do you use any of these? (If you use more than one, please select the one you've used the most)

I don't use any online service to get a personalized learning path

W3Schools Pathfinder

I'm developing a website to organize online educational content and their prerequisite skills, visualizing them like a map. Please rank these features from 1 to 11, with 1 being the most interesting. (You may drag the options around or click them in your preferred order)

Use the up and down arrow keys to change the rank.

Notifies users when they haven't practiced a skill for too long, warning them that it may begin to deteriorate

Facilitates tracking progress and completion of learning objectives.

Integrates with job search platforms to associate job prospects to skills

Enables requesting a learning path to a skill, even a very specific or niche one, that isn't on the platform yet.

Identifies the quickest learning path to a desired skill

Enables users to collaborate on the map

Enables users to share completed skills and learning materials with friends for mutual learning.

Integrates all subjects into one map, revealing connections between skills across different fields

Integrates practice resources alongside educational materials to reinforce learning

Identifies the most affordable learning path to a desired skill

Provides access to mentors

I'm developing a website to organize online educational content and their prerequisite skills, visualizing them like a map. Interested or want updates? Please share your email for details. Wait for an email entitled [The Online Brain Project].